Ah the age-old question: how long were pianist hands? It’s a question that has plagued piano players and music aficionados alike for centuries. It’s a query that has been the source of many an argument and debate. But alas the answer is not as simple as one might think.
Anatomical Differences
The length of a pianist’s hands is largely determined by their anatomy. Factors such as the length of their fingers the width of their palms and the size of their wrists all play a role in determining the size of a pianist’s hands. Additionally the size and shape of a person’s hands can vary greatly from one individual to the next.
| Hand Size | Average Length |
|---|---|
| Small | 7 inches |
| Medium | 7.5 inches |
| Large | 8 inches |
Newest content: How Much Is A Brambach Piano Worth.
Variation in Hand Size
Everyone’s hands come in all shapes and sizes. This is especially true with pianists—while everyone has a “typical” measurement that may be found across the board depending on the individual hand size can vary dramatically.
As you can expect this causes different challenges for different people. Very small hands may have difficulty reaching notes that require extraneous stretching. Very large hands might often feel crammed together when dealing with smaller intervals. That’s not to say one is superior over the other—rather it’s simply an acknowledgment that there is a wide range of what’s normal when it comes to hand size.
Thankfully even if your hands are slightly different from the average measurement pianists are an adaptable bunch. With practice and determination it is possible and likely that you’ll find your own way of mastering the piano. Whether you have slim fingers or plump palmers you have the potential to be a great pianist!
Pianists’ Advantage
Playing the piano requires the use of fine motor skills and dexterity not to mention a keen ear and impeccable timing. While good hand-size plays an important role in any musician’s success it can give dedicated pianists a slight edge. On average pianist’s hands span 8-10 inches across while the average person’s hand falls somewhere between 7-8 inches. Even a smaller one-inch difference can mean the ability to play difficult passages or even reach notes that your less-piano-abled friends can’t. This advantage is even more apparent when it comes to making a big impact on great works such as Beethoven’s 5th where big full sounds can mean the difference between a great performance and a lackluster one. A larger hand span also means the ability to comfortablty and quickly reach all 88 keys of your favourite grand piano which often adds that special polished touch.
So if you’re a pianist it looks like you’ve got an ace up your sleeve when it comes to piano performance regardless of your hand size! Just make sure you don’t let it go to your head and work hard to polish up those fingers so the world can benefit from the beauty of your music.
Effects of Practice and Technique
When it comes to developing the size and dexterity of a pianist’s hands practice and technique can be a crucial factor. While it’s important that a pianist develops their technique to make the most of their hands simply practicing won’t necessarily help.
The type and intensity of practice as well as the techniques used will make all the difference between simply putting in the hours or actually seeing results.
One of the techniques a pianist can use is scaling. Breaking a piece or exercise down into its component musical pieces or notes and practicing those consecutively in repetitive cycles is a good way to ensure accuracy and properly develop the motions necessary to perform a piece properly. Repetition of these cycles with proper technique is a sure-fire way to increase a pianist’s finger dexterity allowing for better overall performance.
The intensity of practice is also something a pianist will have to measure for themselves. It’s a good idea to gradually increase the difficulty of the pieces one is practicing but also to learn when it’s time to take a break from the piano to rest one’s hands and mind.
Ultimately the key to building the perfect pair of pianist hands is a combination of a solid practice routine good technique and knowing when to take a break and let your hands recover. Yes it takes a lot of effort to build the pair of piano-playing hands you’ve dreamed of but with the right strategies and dedication you can do it!
Resources